Denise Lor (born Denise Jeanne Briault;
May 3, 1929 – September 27, 2015) was an American
popular singer
Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...
and actress. She was a featured artist on ''
The Garry Moore Show
''The Garry Moore Show'' is the name for several separate American variety series on the CBS television network in the 1950s and 1960s. Hosted by experienced radio performer Garry Moore, the series helped launch the careers of many comedic tale ...
''. In 1951, she appeared in the short-lived
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp� ...
''
Seven at Eleven''.
Early years
Of French parentage and born in Los Angeles, Lor moved with her mother to
Jackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the northwestern part of the borough of Queens in New York City. Jackson Heights is neighbored by North Corona to the east, Elmhurst to the south, Woodside to the west, and today northern Astoria ( Ditm ...
, New York at the age of 5,
following her father's death. She graduated from
Newtown High School and took art courses at night at
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly known as Cooper Union, is a private college on Cooper Square in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-s ...
, intent on becoming a commercial artist, while waitressing during the day at a
Schrafft's restaurant. She also had a love for singing, saving up money to do it professionally. She believed her chance to sing in
Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norway, Norwegian figure skating, figure skater and film star. She was a three-time List of Olympic medalists in figure skating, Olympic champion (Figure skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics, ...
's New York ice show at the
Center Theatre to be her big break. She also decided to use her mother's maiden name, Lor, as her
stage name
A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...
.
Television
In addition to her work on ''The Garry Moore Show'', Lor was a regular on ''
The Big Payoff'' and ''Droodles''.
[Terrace, Vincent (2011). ''Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 103, 288.] She made her dramatic TV debut on ''
Appointment with Adventure'' on August 14, 1955.
Personal appearances
After Lor's association with ''The Garry Moore Show'' ended, she performed in night clubs and similar venues. In the early 1970s, she worked in touring
stock theater.
Stage
Lor appeared in numerous
musical comedies including ''
Gypsy
{{Infobox ethnic group
, group = Romani people
, image =
, image_caption =
, flag = Roma flag.svg
, flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress
, po ...
'', ''
Annie'' and ''
Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–1847). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet St ...
''.
Recording
Lor's main hit song was "
If I Give My Heart to You",
Obituary
legacy.com; accessed October 5, 2015. which charted in 1954 at the same time as another recording of the same song by Doris Day
Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress and singer. She began her career as a big band singer in 1937, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, "Sentimental Journey ...
.
Personal life
Lor married and subsequently divorced TV director and singer Jay Martin, with whom she had sons, Ron and Denis.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lor, Denise
1929 births
2015 deaths
American musical theatre actresses
Television personalities from New York City
American women television personalities
American women singers
Singers from New York City
Liberty Records artists
Actresses from Queens, New York
Traditional pop music singers
Place of death missing
21st-century American women